#FoxDoc- Sneak Peek

2:45 a.m. That’s the time I heard my alarm buzzing this past Friday morning. Those that know me know that this isn’t common for me, but I resisted the temptation to smack the snooze button for another 10 minutes sleep, and rolled myself out of bed to prepare for the weekend ahead.

I wasn’t the lonely one awake in the house. My housemates, Devon and Carissa, were right there with me, all of us shuffling around with our coffees and doing one final check to make sure we had everything. We hit the road before the birds were even awake with a car packed to the brim. Sleeping bags to my left, trail mix on my right, and a camera bag on my lap. By the time our ferry left the dock the sun had yet to rise. We stood at the back of the ferry watching the shore shrink in the distance as the boat pressed at towards our destination. My hair blew in the morning breeze, and the cool air helped me to really feel awake for the first time all morning.

As soon as you get to the San Juan Islands, there is a feeling of serenity. You’re greeted at Friday Harbor, a quaint little coastal town scattered with shops, restaurants, theaters, and other great spots. What really makes this island special though is it’s gorgeous geography, ecology, and wildlife. Although it’s small in size (less than 57 square miles) the geography on the island is diverse. As we drove around San Juan, we encountered rolling hills and farmland, beautiful green forests, as well as vast cliffs and shorelines, all within only a few minutes drive of each other. While exploring these areas we saw grasslands scattered with picturesque white and purple flowers, and spotted eagles flying overhead near while we walked along the coast. In every direction we looked, it seemed nature was giving us something new to marvel at.

The highlight of our trip was unquestionably getting to observe the foxes that inhabit the San Juan Islands. The foxes have recently gone through their birthing season, and we were lucky enough to see the kits playing outside of their dens while their mothers roamed the grasslands hunting for rabbits. If you didn’t know this already, baby foxes wrestling with and pouncing on each other is one of the most adorable sights in existence.

While we watched the foxes, we got to meet some people from both Washington and Vancouver, all of whom were fantastic photographers and even better people. It was really great to get to share the experience with others as well as make some friends while doing it.

We may have gotten drenched in a downpour on Saturday, and my back is certainly letting me know how much it dislikes sleeping on the forest floor, but this trip was still incredible, and it was made so by the beauty of San Juan Island, the friendliness of its residents, and the company of great friends.